Author: cviewadmin

Issue 20-25, June 3, 2020

 

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1. MESSAGE FROM THE DPS LEADERSHIP 
2. PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE 2020 DPS MEMBERSHIP SURVEY
3. SHARING PLANETARY SCIENCE WEBINAR TODAY: ENGAGING AUDIENCES VIRTUALLY

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MESSAGE FROM THE DPS LEADERSHIP

 

The horrific events of the last few days, including the killings of George Floyd and 

Breonna Taylor, the long history of violence inflicted on Black people, and the pain 

caused to Black members of the planetary science community, are intolerable. Systemic 

racism is in fundamental opposition to human decency and the core values of the AAS’s 

Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS). The DPS strives to be a supportive, equitable, and 

inclusive home for the greater planetary science community. We affirm our commitment 

to the principle that Black lives matter and to building a professional society that is safe, 

welcoming, and will not tolerate racism on any basis. The DPS leadership is here to stand 

with and support our community; we must do the work to create a better future. The DPS 

PCCS has created a living list of actions that we and our members can take to make our 

community more equitable (Inclusivity).

 

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PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE 2020 DPS MEMBERSHIP SURVEY

 

The final report from the 2020 DPS Membership Survey, which also serves as the 2020 

Planetary Workforce Survey sponsored by the DPS, will be out this Fall.  However, in order 

to help with preparation of white papers on Workforce issues, preliminary results are now 

posted in raw form at reports, along with the results of previous DPS 

Membership Surveys.  The preliminary results include the number of respondents who chose 

each option.  We will also be interested in input from the community on what the final report 

should include, so look for a future announcement about opportunities to provide feedback.

 

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SHARING PLANETARY SCIENCE WEBINAR TODAY: ENGAGING AUDIENCES VIRTUALLY

 

The Lunar and Planetary Institute is conducting short professional development sessions

based on input from planetary scientists and the LPI Education and Public Engagement advisory
board. Sessions include interactive activities and demonstrations to allow participants to share
their insights. More information and links to recordings of past webinars can be found at:

https://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/scientist-engagement/

 

Today’s Webinar is “Engaging Audiences Virtually”

June 3, 2020, 1 pm Central Daylight Time Please join us online

Presenting content virtually is challenging, and it is even more difficult to have authentic dialogue
with audiences when the format is online. Join us to discuss strategies to initiate

active participation from audiences and to incorporate feedback in a virtual program.

 

———————————+ 

Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

You are receiving this email because you are a DPS member.

To unsubscribe or update your information, please send your request

to [email protected]. The more general AAS privacy policy is available

online at https://aas.org/about/policies/privacy-policy. Current and back

issues of the DPS Newsletter can be found at newsletters

–>

Issue 20-24, June 2, 2020

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

1. DPS EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GRANTS
2. HARTMANN STUDENT TRAVEL GRANTS FOR DPS 52
3. 52nd ANNUAL DPS MEETING WORKSHOP, SPLINTER MEETING, AND TOWN HALL. PROPOSAL DEADLINES
4. WEBINAR: ENGAGING AUDIENCES VIRTUALLY
5. SPATIAL DATA WHITE PAPER
6. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS TO EPSC VIRTUAL MEETING SESSIONS

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DPS EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GRANTS

 

The DPS Committee is offering small grants (average amounts of $200 to $500) to 

support DPS members to engage in local and virtual education and public engagement 

activities. These grants are intended to support DPS member efforts to engage other 

members, students, teachers, and the public and can be used for materials, consumables, 

equipment but not for salary or travel to DPS meetings. Proposals are being accepted 

for programs that will occur by June 1, 2021. We encourage creative solutions for 

engagement efforts that also conform to social-distancing requirements. If you have 

a question about what is an acceptable cost, please contact the DPS Education and 

Outreach Officer, Sanlyn Buxner, [email protected].  Proposals should be emailed to 

[email protected] and you will receive an email confirmation.

 

Applications will be accepted in two review cycles – the first deadline is July 1st (11:59pm 

in proposers’ local time), and awardees will be contacted by July 15th. The second deadline 

will be August 1st, and awardees will be contacted by August 15th. All proposals will be 

reviewed by members of the DPS education subcommittee and the executive committee.

 

Complete directions, including a scoring rubric, can be found at education/education-outreach-grants/application

 

Please address any questions to [email protected].

 

Sanlyn Buxner (Education and Public Outreach Officer) and 

Brian Jackson (Deputy Education and Public Outreach Officer) 

 

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HARTMANN STUDENT TRAVEL GRANTS FOR DPS 52

 

A generous contribution from William K. Hartmann, supplemented by member 

contributions and matching funds from the DPS Committee, has enabled a limited

number of student travel grants to assist participation by early-career scientists at 

the annual DPS meeting.

 

***NOTE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible that the DPS meeting will 

be virtual this year. The DPS Committee anticipates making the final decision on meeting 

format by the end of June 2020. Due to the schedule required to support the Hartmann 

grants in the event of an in-person meeting, we are going ahead with the solicitations 

for applications. However, please be advised that if the meeting shifts to virtual, we will 

not be awarding the grants. We appreciate the community’s support and patience during 

this time.***

 

Application details are at meetings/hartmann-application

 

Travel grants are primarily intended for students, but post-doctoral scientists 

without other means of support will also be considered.

 

The due date for applications is July 12, 2020 11:59 PM. 

 

The DPS Leadership is also soliciting additional contributions from members

for the Hartmann Fund. Your tax-deductible gift promotes the careers of our next 

generation of planetary scientists. Thanks so much for your generosity.

 

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52nd ANNUAL DPS MEETING WORKSHOP, SPLINTER MEETING, AND TOWN HALL. PROPOSAL DEADLINES

 

The proposal site for workshops, splinters and townhall site for the 52nd Annual DPS

meeting is live. Workshop proposals are due 30 June and splinter meeting and town hall
proposals are due 5 August. More information at https://aas.org/meetings/dps52

 

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WEBINAR: ENGAGING AUDIENCES VIRTUALLY

June 3, 2020, 1 pm Central Daylight Time Please join us online

Presenting content virtually is challenging, and it is even more difficult to have authentic
dialogue with audiences when the format is online. Join us to discuss strategies to initiate

active participation from audiences and to incorporate feedback in a virtual program.

 

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SPATIAL DATA WHITE PAPER

 

Dear Planetary Data Community,

 

The following White Paper, titled Maximizing the Value of Solar System Data through 

Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructures, will be submitted prior to the July 4, 2020 deadline 

for consideration for the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey. 

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10iLj5NFYLAIPcmnWS7hiACh5rDhcwZBpZ698X16jMJs/edit?usp=sharing

 

If you are interested in endorsing or signing this document (as the page limits allow) 

please add your name onto the cover page using “Suggesting” mode or email

 [email protected]. Other comments and suggestions are also welcome (again, in 

“Suggesting” mode).

 

Thank you,

 

Jani Radebaugh

Chair, Mapping and Planetary Spatial Data Infrastructure Team

 

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CALL FOR ABSTRACTS TO EPSC VIRTUAL MEETING SESSIONS

 

EPSC SESSION TP7: IONOSPHERES OF UNMAGNETIZED OR WEAKLY MAGNETIZED
BODIES 

Virtual meeting 21 September- 9 October 2020

We encourage abstract submissions to our EPSC 2020 session. The
session will focus on the analysis of ionospheres of weakly magnetized
bodies with substantial atmospheres (e.g. Mars, Venus, Titan, Pluto and
comets), and how each body reacts to space weather disturbances.
Understanding how each unmagnetized body reacts to all these factors is
a key in comparative aeronomy because although a priori all of them
have a general similar behavior, they also have scientifically
important differences caused by their different natures. We solicit
abstracts concerning remote and in situ data analysis, modeling
studies, instrumentation and mission concepts. Topics may include, but
are not limited to, day and night side ionospheric variability, sources
and influences of ionization, ion-neutral coupling, current systems,
comparative ionospheric studies, and solar wind-ionosphere interactions
and responses of the ionized and neutral regimes to transient space
weather events. Abstracts on general plasma and escape processes are
also welcome.

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2020/session/38507

Deadline: 24 June 2020

Conveners: Beatriz Sanchez-Cano, Matteo Crismani, Niklas Edberg, 
Xiaohua Fang, and Francisco Gonzalez-Galindo

 

EPSC2020 – SESSION EXO3: “From Protoplanetary Disks to Small Bodies, Planets and their Atmospheres” — Call for abstracts

 

Dear colleague,

 

We would like to bring to your attention the following session that will take place

during the Europlanet Science Congress 2020 (EPSC2020, www.epsc2020.eu), as

part of the Exoplanets and Origins of Planetary Systems group:

 

EXO3 From Protoplanetary Disks to Small Bodies, Planets and their Atmospheres

 

Since the discovery of the first exoplanet in 1995 more than 4000 exoplanets have been

detected to date. This indicates that planet formation is a robust mechanism and nearly

every star in our Galaxy should host a system of planets. However, many crucial questions

about the origin of planets are still unanswered: How and when planets formed in the Solar
System and in extra-solar systems? Are protoplanetary disks massive enough to form the

planets cores? And what chemical composition do planets and primitive Solar System bodies
inherit from their natal environment? Is the chemical composition passed unaltered from

the earliest stages of the formation of a star to its disk and then to the bodies which assemble

in the disk? Or does it reflect chemical processes occurring in the disk and/or during the

planet formation process? A viable way to answer these questions is to study the planets
formation site, i.e. protoplanetary disks. In the recent years, the advent of ALMA and near-
infrared/optical imagers aided by extreme adaptive optics revolutionised our comprehension

of planet formation by providing unprecedented insights on the protoplanetary disks structure,
both in its gaseous and solid components. The aim of this session is to review the latest results

on protoplanetary disks; to foster a comparison with the recent outcomes of small bodies space
missions (e.g. Rosetta, Dawn, Hayabusa 2, OSIRIS-REx) and ground-based observations;

and to discuss how these will affect the current models of planet formation and can guide

us to investigate the origin of planets and small bodies and of their chemical composition.

https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2020/session/38481

 

Please note that due to the pandemic, EPSC2020 will be held as a virtual meeting on

21 September – 9 October 2020.

The deadline for abstract submission is *** 24 June 2020, 13:00 CEST ***.

Information on how to submit an abstract can be found at the following link:

https://www.epsc2020.eu/abstract_management/how_to_submit_an_abstract.html

 

We would like to encourage all people interested in this topic to submit an abstract,

in particular early career scientists. 

 

Sincerely yours,

Linda Podio, Mauro Ciarniello, Cecile Favre, Carlo Felice Manara. and Francesco Marzari

 

———————————+ 

Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

You are receiving this email because you are a DPS member.

To unsubscribe or update your information, please send your request

to [email protected]. The more general AAS privacy policy is available

online at https://aas.org/about/policies/privacy-policy. Current and back

issues of the DPS Newsletter can be found at newsletters   

–>

Issue 20-23, May 27, 2020

 

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1. NASA SCIENCE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY TOWN HALL. MEETING
2. LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS DIVISION VIRTUAL MEETING JUNE 1-3, 2020
3. 52nd ANNUAL DPS MEETING WORKSHOP, SPLINTER MEETING, AND TOWN HALL. PROPOSAL DEADLINES
4. LUNGRADCON 2020 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
5. OPENPLANETARY VIRTUAL CONFERENCE (OPVCON)
6. 2020 ANNUAL MEETING OF PLANETARY GEOLOGIC MAPPERS

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NASA SCIENCE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETING 

 

Thursday, May 28, 3 pm EDT

 

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate will hold a community town hall meeting via 

teleconference with Associate Administrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen and 

his leadership team at 3 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 28, to discuss updates in NASA’s 

science program and the current status of NASA activities.

 

Members of the science community, academia, the media and the public are invited 

to participate by calling 888-989-9718. International participants should call 312-470-7045. 

Both numbers will use the passcode 8137047. Participants must provide their name at 

the prompt. A replay of the call will be available for one month at 203-369-3252.

Charts for the meeting will be posted just prior to the start of the meeting and an audio 

recording will be available later that day at: https://science.nasa.gov

 

To ask a question, participants can go to: https://arc.cnf.io/sessions/ykc8/#!/dashboard

 

Users must provide their first and last name and organization and can submit their own 

questions or vote up or down a list of questions submitted by others. The meeting leaders 

will try to answer as many of the submitted questions as possible.

 

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LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS DIVISION VIRTUAL MEETING JUNE 1-3, 2020

 

Hi Planetary Science Community:

 

Become Laboratory Astrophysics Division (LAD) Member and Register for the 

AAS/LAD Joint Virtual Meeting by May 29, 2020

 

As the Vice-Chair of LAD, it is my goal to encourage planetary scientists to become 

LAD members, such that LAD has equal representation from the planetary science 

community. If you ever use or need laboratory data for your models or observational 

analysis, you may want to consider becoming a LAD member. You will find the right 

collaborator for your data needs. If you do laboratory work, you would find a platform 

to showcase your work. If you are looking for careers in laboratory studies pertinent to 

astrophysics and planetary sciences, LAD provides you networking opportunities. This 

year LAD jointly with AAS has their first ever virtual conference June 1-3, 2020. 

 

Registration and program at: 

https://aas.org/meetings/aas236

 

Check out the following links to become LAD member or affiliate for very nominal fee 

(Full Member $20, Graduate Affiliate $10, Undergraduate Affiliate $5).

https://lad.aas.org/members

 

Please pass on this information to your colleagues, who may be interested and encourage 

them to become LAD members.

 

Thanks,

Murthy Gudipati

 

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52nd ANNUAL DPS MEETING WORKSHOP, SPLINTER MEETING, AND TOWN HALL. PROPOSAL DEADLINES

 

The proposal site for workshops, splinters and townhall site for the 52nd Annual DPS

meeting is live. Workshop proposals are due 30 June and splinter meeting and town hall
proposals are due 5 August. More information at

https://aas.org/meetings/dps52

 

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LUNGRADCON 2020 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

 

The 10th Annual Lunar and Small Bodies Graduate Conference (LunGradCon 2020) is

to be held virtually on Wednesday and Thursday, July 1st-2nd 2020, preceding the NASA
Exploration Science Forum (ESF, July 8-10th). With the expanded interests of the Solar

System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), the scope of LunGradCon includes
both lunar and small body science. LunGradCon provides an opportunity for grad students

and early-career postdocs to present their research on lunar and small body science in a

low-stress, friendly environment, being critiqued only by their peers. In addition to virtual
presentations, the conference will feature Q&A panels with various groups to help grad

students navigate the paths to careers in space science. The deadline for LunGradCon 

registration and abstract submission is June 19, 2019, 11:59 PM PDT.

 

For more details, please visit:

http://impact.colorado.edu/lungradcon/

or email any questions to: [email protected]

 

Best wishes,

The LunGradCon Team

 

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OPENPLANETARY VIRTUAL CONFERENCE (OPVCON)

 

OpenPlanetary will host a virtual planetary science conference from June 22-24. 

The conference will consist of lecture-length talks from invited speakers, coffee break 

/ networking opportunities, workshops and tutorials, and a hackathon. There is no 

registration fee, but registration is required. A schedule and registration information is

now available at the conference website: 

 

http://www.openplanetary.org/vcon

 

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2020 ANNUAL MEETING OF PLANETARY GEOLOGIC MAPPERS

 

The Annual Meeting of Planetary Geologic Mappers will take place virtually on 

July 23, 2020. The meeting will consist of 5-minute presentations and ten-minutes 

of discussion for each speaker. Status reports will also be presented by the USGS 

Planetary Geologic Mapping Coordinator and the NASA HQ Program Officer 

overseeing the mapping program.

 

The abstract submission form is now available online. Abstracts are limited to one 

page, 250 words, and one figure, and are due June 18, 2020 by 5:00 pm CDT.

 

Registration is free and available online. The deadline to register is July 20, 2020. 

 

Abstract submission and registration can be found here: 

 

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/pgm2020/

 

———————————+ 

Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

You are receiving this email because you are a DPS member.

To unsubscribe or update your information, please send your request

to [email protected]. The more general AAS privacy policy is available

online at https://aas.org/about/policies/privacy-policy. Current and back

issues of the DPS Newsletter can be found at newsletters   

–>

Issue 20-22, May 20, 2020

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

1. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: NOTICE REGARDING THE NEXT DPS/EPSC JOINT MEETING
2. REGISTRATION BY MAY 21 REQUIRED FOR PLANETARY MISSION CONCEPT STUDIES (PMCS) WORKSHOP
3. REGISTRATION BY MAY 22 REQUIRED FOR LUNAR SURFACE SCIENCE WORKSHOP
4. SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) COMMUNITY SURVEY FOR DECADAL REPORT
5. NASA NEXSS POSTDOCTORAL MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP
6. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: NOTICE REGARDING THE NEXT DPS/EPSC JOINT MEETING

 

In light of the COVID-19 situation, the 2020 EPSC meeting, originally planned for 

Granada Spain, will be held in a virtual format (https://www.epsc2020.eu). To maintain 

contractual agreements, Europlanet will hold their 2022 meeting in Granada. The 2022 

DPS meeting in London Ontario will no longer be a joint DPS-EPSC meeting. We are 

looking into the possibility of converting the 2023 DPS meeting in San Antonio into a 

joint meeting with EPSC. We will inform the membership once a decision is made.

 

We hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy during these trying times, and look 

forward to meeting again in person.

 

Amanda Hendrix, DPS Chair

Nigel Mason, Europlanet Society President

 

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REGISTRATION BY MAY 21 REQUIRED FOR PLANETARY MISSION CONCEPT STUDIES (PMCS) WORKSHOP

 

The Planetary Mission Concept Studies Workshop previously scheduled for

March 15, 2020 at LPSC 51 will now take place virtually on May 26–27, 2020.

 

If you plan to join, you MUST register by Thursday, May 21, at:

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/pmcs2020/registration/

The webcast link and password will ONLY be sent to those who register.

 

The link to watch/listen will be https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/pmcs2020/

The agenda can be found at: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/pmcs2020/format/

 

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REGISTRATION BY MAY 22 REQUIRED FOR LUNAR SURFACE SCIENCE WORKSHOP

 

The NASA-organized Lunar Surface Science Workshop originally scheduled for

April 28–30, 2020 in Denver, Colorado has been rescheduled as a virtual event.

 

The purpose is to discuss new scientific research that could be enabled by human

exploration near the lunar south pole. The workshop has been revised to consist of

a number of virtual sessions to cover some of the content of the original workshop,

followed by a new in-person workshop at a future date. The first virtual session is

scheduled for half days on May 28–29, 2020.

 

The May 28 program will consist of what would have been the initial Overview session.

It will contain presentations from multiple NASA mission directorates and international

space agencies. It will also include some overview talks of both the science value of the

Moon, as well as science that can be enabled by human missions to the lunar surface.

 

The May 29 program will mostly include the content that was originally planned for the

Tools and Instruments for Surface Science session. It will cover various aspects of the
instruments and tools that will enable EVAs for conducting scientific exploration. This

is meant to be a working meeting with a mixture of talks and discussion periods.

 

A revised program will be available by May 19.

 

Registration deadline — Friday, May 22, 2020  Registration

 

Attendance for May 28 is open to the community. Attendance for May 29 is limited to

people who submitted an abstract, or their delegates, and selected invitees.

 

Registration fees are not being collected for this virtual session, but registration is required

to continue receiving e-mail updates, including virtual access information. You will need to
register again if you were registered for the originally scheduled April workshop.

 

http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lunarsurface2020

 

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SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP (SBAG) COMMUNITY SURVEY FOR DECADAL REPORT

SBAG has posted a survey that queries the community for opinions on research priorities 

and missions. Please fill it out BEFORE May 25, 2020. It should take about 10 minutes.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/sbag_decadal

Bonnie Buratti, for the SBAG Steering Committee

 

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NASA NEXSS POSTDOCTORAL MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP

 

The NExSS (Nexus for Exoplanet Systems Science) has a new opportunity for a 

NASA Postdoctoral Management (NPMP) fellowship. NExSS is an interdisciplinary 

research network including experts in Earth Science, Planetary Science, Heliophysics, 

and Astrophysics (http://nexss.info). The main goal of NExSS is to apply a “systems 

science” perspective to the study of exoplanets, so we can study their diversity, histories, 

and habitability. Teams extrapolate our knowledge of Earth as a planet and the examples 

provided by the Sun and planets in our Solar System to better understand exoplanets, 

and vice versa. As a coordinated network, NExSS fosters interdisciplinary, collaborative 

work and facilitates access to diverse skill sets and a broad knowledge base.

 

This position will be split equally between research and policy/management work. 

The research will be composed of an independent research project led by the postdoctoral 

fellow, that leverages the NExSS science community. The management work involves 

interfacing with the NExSS science community in the pursuit of strengthening and 

expanding that community. Efforts in this area could include: facilitating collaborations; 

coordinating webinars, workshops, and other virtual meetings; leading or organizing 

the writing of white papers; improving communication both within and beyond the 

network, and contributing to the strategies for pursuing the above goals.

 

The successful candidate will join the NExSS management team. This management 

team is led by two co-directors, Victoria Meadows (University of Washington) and 

Dawn Gelino (NExScI/Caltech/JPL). They work with two program managers, 

Mary Voytek (NASA HQ) and Doug Hudgins (NASA HQ); and a program facilitator, 

Shawn Domagal-Goldman (NASA GSFC), to enact programs that strengthen the 

exoplanet and astrobiology communities. Shawn Domagal-Goldman will serve as the 

NPMP’s host at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. We seek 

creative individuals with leadership skills and a deep interest in strategic planning 

and collaborative research.

 

Please see https://npp.usra.edu/opportunities/details/?ro=19326 for more information. 

The deadline for applications is July 1, 2020. 

 

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JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER AND DATA SCIENTIST IN PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS

 

Applications are now being accepted for two postdoctoral scientists to work with the 

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Planetary Magnetospheres Laboratory in Greenbelt, 

MD. The positions are funded through CRESST II.

Position 1: The postdoctoral researcher will work for either the Juno project with the 

primary responsibility of conducting analysis and publishing the magnetometer results. 

In addition, the candidate will assist with the magnetometer data validation and calibration.

Position 2: The data scientist’s primary responsibility will be to develop a data 

production pipeline for future magnetometer missions. This involves taking raw 

magnetometer data, applying the appropriate transformations and calibrations, and 

producing the final public data products. The data scientist is encouraged to pursue 

their own research interest.  

Candidates for these positions should have earned a Ph.D. in physics, astronomy, 

planetary science, space physics, geosciences, or related fields. Successful candidates 

should also have expertise with one or more programming languages commonly used 

in space science and a demonstrated track record in analyzing spaceflight data, especially 
magnetometer data and experience with the NAIF SPICE software package is highly desired.

Applications received by July 15, 2020, will receive the best 
consideration. Link to full job posting: https://jobregister.aas.org/ad/bb0cf722

 

B) JET PROPULSION LABORATORY RESEARCH SCIENTIST II – PLANETARY INTERIORS AND GEOPHYSICS

 

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory invites applications for a Scientist who will bring new 

expertise to and ensure continuity of existing capabilities at JPL in planetary science. 

The successful candidate will develop models for the chemical evolution of Europa, 

Enceladus, Titan, Ganymede, and other ocean worlds in support of the Icy Worlds, Titan, 
and Vital Signs teams. The candidate will investigate the detailed chemical evolution of 

Europa’s interior and its ice. Perform NASA funded research, including setting up and 

conducting novel experiments to measure chemical properties and processes applicable 

to planetary interiors. Investigate the metamorphic evolution of Ceres’ rocky mantle and 

support mission formulation as a subject matter expert on ocean world chemistry.

This position requires the following qualifications:
– Ph.D. in geochemistry, planetary geophysics, or a related field.
– 3-4 years expertise in applying meteoritics, petrology, aqueous 
  geochemistry to problems in astrobiology.

The following qualifications are preferred:
– Knowledge of geophysical forward modeling and inverse theory, 
  high-pressure experimental design and implementation.

Applications are due by May 26, 2020 or until filled and should be 
submitted at: https://jpl.jobs/jobs/2020-11799-Research-Scientist-II

 

C) JET PROPULSION LABORATORY RESEARCH SCIENTIST II – OCEAN WORLDS

 

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory invites applications for a Scientist who will bring new 

expertise to and ensure continuity of existing capabilities at JPL in planetary science. 

The successful candidate will develop models for the chemical evolution of Europa, 

Enceladus, Titan, Ganymede, and other ocean worlds in support of the Icy Worlds, Titan, 

and Vital Signs teams. The candidate will investigate the detailed chemical evolution of 

Europa’s interior and its ice. Perform NASA funded research, including setting up and 

conducting novel experiments to measure chemical properties and processes applicable 

to planetary interiors. Investigate the metamorphic evolution of Ceres’s rocky mantle and 

support mission formulation as a subject matter expert on ocean world chemistry.

 

Qualifications: PhD in geochemistry, planetary geophysics, or a related field.
3-4 years expertise in applying meteoritics, petrology, aqueous geochemistry to 

problems in astrobiology.

 

The following qualifications are preferred: Knowledge of geophysical forward 

modeling and inverse theory, high-pressure experimental design and implementation.

More Information

 

Applications received by May 26, 2020 will receive full consideration.

 

D) JET PROPULSION LABORATORY RESEARCH SCIENTIST III – ASTROBIOLOGY AND OCEAN WORLDS

 

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory invites applications for a Research Scientist to 

join the Astrobiology and Ocean Worlds Group within the Planetary Science 

Section. You will do the following: 

– Lead development of instrumentation and/or mission concepts to explore the 

   subsurface of Mars and other habitable environments.
– Write proposals for advancing research and instrument/mission development.

Required Qualifications:
– Ph.D. degree in Earth or Planetary Sciences or related scientific or technical discipline.
– Demonstrated working knowledge at the forefront in the fields of planetary habitability,       

   geophysics, geodynamics, aqueous geochemistry, modeling and biology/astrobiology,  

   including but not limited to the Mars subsurface.
– At least 5 years experience following the Ph.D. in research in one or more of the 

   aforementioned fields.
– Peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals in the aforementioned fields.
– Well-established record in obtaining funding as PI for scientific research and/or 

   mission/instrument development.
– Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to both work as 

   part of a team and lead a team.

To view the full description and apply, please visit: 
http://jpl.jobs/jobs/2020-11866-Research-Scientist-III-Astrobiology-and-Ocean-Worlds 

Applications received by June 8, 2020, will receive full consideration. 

 

E) PH.D. STUDENT IN SPACE PHYSICS FOR STUDIES OF SPACE PLASMAS

The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) is looking for a Ph.D. student in Space 

Physics. The position is related to studies of space plasmas.

Applications are invited for a Ph.D. student to study kinetic plasma processes operating 

in space plasma regions of fundamental importance, such as magnetic reconnection sites, 

shocks, and turbulence regions. Such processes operate in most astrophysical plasma 

environments leading to plasma heating and production of energetic particles.

You will work directly with state-of-the-art experimental data from the NASA 

multi-spacecraft (MMS) mission.

The position is available at the IRF-office in Uppsala, starting at the latest in the 

second half of 2020 for a total of four years.

The Swedish National Space Agency, the Swedish Research Council and Uppsala 

University fund the position.

Contact: Dr Emiliya Yordanova, [email protected]
Applications: [email protected]

Closing Date: May 31, 2020

Information: 
https://www.irf.se/en/news/2020/05/11/phd-student-in-space-physics-to-studies-of-space-plasmas-ref2-2-1-146-20/

IRF is a government agency that conducts research and postgraduate education in 

space physics, atmospheric physics and space technology. Many of IRF’s projects 

are run as international projects in collaboration with other research institutes and 

space agencies. IRF has about 100 employees and offices in Kiruna (headquarters), 

Umea, Uppsala and Lund.

 

———————————+ 

Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

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To unsubscribe or update your information, please send your request

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–>

Issue 20-21, May 16, 2020

 

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

1. IN MEMORIAM: MARGARET BURBIDGE (1919-2020)
2. LEAG/SSERVI VIRTUAL MEETING FOR COMMUNITY INPUT TO THE DECADAL SURVEY
3. PREVENTING HARASSMENT IN SCIENCE WORKSHOP – RESCHEDULED AND GOING VIRTUAL
4. NASEM VIDEO POSTED: WRITING WHITE PAPERS FOR THE DECADAL SURVEY ON PLANETARY SCIENCE AND ASTROBIOLOGY
5. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

 

 

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1
IN MEMORIAM: MARGARET BURBIDGE (1919-2020)

 

The British-American astronomer Margaret Burbidge passed away on 5 April 2020

at the age of 100. She was the principal author of a watershed scientific paper in 1957

that set out the evidence for chemical elements having been formed inside stars. The

100-page paper was titled “Synthesis of the Elements in Stars” and was published in

Reviews of Modern Physics. Burbidge was the first author, together with her collaborators,

her husband, Geoffrey Burbidge, William A. Fowler and Fred Hoyle; the paper became

known as B2FH, from the first letters of its authors’ surnames.

 

Born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, she studied astronomy, physics and mathematics

at University College London and graduated with first class honors in 1939 just as WWII

was looming. She worked at the University of London’s Mill Hill observatory, where her 

observing logs indicated that she sometimes had to realign the telescope because of nearby 

explosions from German V1 flying bombs.

 

She earned a PhD from University College London in 1943, and as WWII was ending,

she applied for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Mount Wilson observatory in Los Angeles. 

Drawn by the sheer size of the telescopes being built in the US, she was turned down

because she was a woman and would have had to spend nights at the observatory with

married men. Writing in 1994, she recalled that this rejection opened her eyes to gender-

based discrimination, “A guiding operational principle in my life was activated: If

frustrated in one’s endeavor by a stone wall or any kind of blockage, one must find a

way around it — another route towards one’s goal. This is advice I have given to many

women facing similar situations.”

 

Remaining in Britain, she met Geoffrey Burbidge, a theoretical physicist at UCL, in

late 1947, and six months later they were married. Her enthusiasm for the universe

persuaded him to turn his talents to astrophysics too. She finally made it to the US in

1951 with a position at the University of Chicago’s Yerkes observatory in Wisconsin.

Although she would occasionally return to the UK over the coming decades, she made

the US her home and became a US citizen in 1977.

 

In 1962 the Burbidges became professors at the UC San Diego, and a decade later she

returned to the UK to become director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. Until then

the post had carried with it the title of Astronomer Royal. However, she was not conferred

this honor, breaking more than 300 years of tradition, something she would sometimes

put down to politics and sometimes to sexism.

 

In the same year she took a stand against the AAS by refusing to accept its Annie Jump

Cannon award, given for distinguished contributions to astronomy by women. Her reason

was that it was only awarded to female astronomers, and in her letter to the committee she

explained that “it is high time that discrimination in favor of, as well as against, women in 

professional life be removed”.

 

In response, the AAS convened a working group to investigate the status of women in

astronomy. In 1974 she returned to the US, and two years later was elected the first female 

president of the AAS. In the subsequent decades she worked across many areas of

astrophysics, and helped to develop the Faint Object Spectrograph, one of the original 

instruments on HST.

 

She retired in 1988, and subsequently became professor emeritus. In 2005 she and

her husband were jointly awarded the gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Geoffrey died in 2010. Margaret is survived by their daughter, Sarah, and a grandson,

Conner.

 

Adapted from the full obituary at:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/apr/22/margaret-burbidge obituary?CMP=share_btn_link

 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

LEAG/SSERVI VIRTUAL MEETING FOR COMMUNITY INPUT TO THE DECADAL SURVEY

 

The lunar community needs YOU!

 

The Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) and Solar System Exploration

Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) will host a virtual meeting for critical community

input regarding the Decadal Survey on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. 

 

The goals of the meeting are to: 
(1) Facilitate collaboration and discussion on Decadal Survey white paper concepts

and strategies for lunar science; 
(2) Solidify commitments on white paper topics and solicit coauthors and signatories; and 
(3) Identify gaps and needs.

 

Meeting details are included below.  A preliminary agenda can be found in the Google 

Doc (see “More Information” below), and connection information will be posted there soon.

 

What: LEAG/SSERVI Virtual Meeting-Community Input for Decadal Survey

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Time: 12:00 – 4:30 pm Eastern (9:00 am – 1:30 pm Pacific)

More Information:https://docs.google.com/document/d/19sPg_1fDUHUiQ5saFiINrGDTE-aB1NftxC4nTfC5W78/edit?usp=sharing

 

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

PREVENTING HARASSMENT IN SCIENCE WORKSHOP – RESCHEDULED AND GOING VIRTUAL

 

We are happy to announce the Preventing Harassment in Science:  Building a Community

of Practice Toward Meaningful Change workshop has been rescheduled as a virtual event

on June 24–25, 2020.

The goal of this workshop is to bring leaders of anti-harassment efforts together to share

ideas and discuss best practice methods to reduce harassment in the scientific workplace.

An expected outcome of this workshop is to create a community of practice to continue

future anti-harassment efforts.

The updated agenda will be available in the next few weeks, but to see the type of content 

expected at this event the original agenda can be viewed at the workshop website:  

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/anti-harassment2020/ 

Registration is required to access the virtual meeting, and registration is free.

We hope you join us!    

 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

NASEM VIDEO POSTED: WRITING WHITE PAPERS FOR THE DECADAL SURVEY ON PLANETARY SCIENCE AND ASTROBIOLOGY

 

The video from the 7 May webinar on Writing White Papers for the Decadal Survey

on Planetary Science and Astrobiology is now available with a white paper FAQ at:

 

https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/05-07-2020/planetary-science-and-astrobiology-decadal-survey-2023-2032-writing-white-papers-for-the-planetary-science-and-astrobiology-decadal-survey-overview-and-perspectives-from-the-experts-early-career-webinar-2

 

Learn more about the decadal survey, sign up for the mailing list, and submit white

papers on the study website at http://nas.edu/planetarydecadal. Stay tuned, as more

webinars like this one are planned for future dates.

 

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5 

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

 

A) USGS ASTROGEOLOGY CARTOGRAPHIC TECHNICIAN (TERM GS-07/08, FPL GS-09)

 

The USGS Astrogeology in Flagstaff AZ is hiring a Cartographic Technician at the

GS-07/08 level (Term position renewable up to 4 years). Duties include using planetary

data sets to assist in the generation of high-fidelity foundational spatial data products

(e.g., photogrammetrically controlled image mosaics, digital elevation models) to support

the planetary science community. A bachelor’s degree or higher is required. Experience 

generating cartographic products using the USGS’ ISIS software, Ames Stereo Pipeline,

and/or SOCET SET/GXP workstations, and familiarity with scripting languages such as

bash or python is preferred. 

 

Apply through USAJOBS at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/567869800. 

 

Position open 5/18/2020 to 6/1/2020 and is limited to the first 65 applicants. Applicants

must be a U.S. Citizen. Send inquires to Michael Bland ([email protected]).

 

B) POSTDOCTORAL POSITION OPENING TO STUDY VENUS UPPER ATMOSPHERE WITH IPSL VENUS GCM

The LMD Planetary Science team (Paris, France) is happy to announce an open 

postdoctoral position, starting in autumn 2020, for two years. This position is opened

in the context of the development of the Venus Climate Database funded by ESA, a

new reference model for the atmosphere of Venus, based on the simulations done with

the IPSL Venus GCM. These simulations will cover the altitude range from surface to

exobase, near 250 km.
 

The studies proposed for this postdoctoral position will focus on the upper atmosphere

of Venus, from the cloud-top to the thermosphere. Among the topics, the successful

applicant will use available observations to validate the simulations in this region, work

on the interpretation of these observations, and investigate the physical processes controlling 

dynamics from the upper mesosphere to the exobase. Comparison studies with other 

thermospheric GCMs could be proposed, to assess the robustness of these investigations.

Knowledge in planetary science and expertise in atmospheric dynamical modeling will

be appreciated. Work will be conducted at the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique

premises on the Pierre & Marie Curie campus of Sorbonne Universite, Paris, France.
 

More details available at https://www.lmd.jussieu.fr/~sllmd/VCD/postdoc_LMD.pdf

Interested applicants should contact Sebastien Lebonnois:
[email protected]

 

C) POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER, SCIENCE (VISITING) (RADIATIVE TRANSFER MODELING IN PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES)

 

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), run by the Universities Space Research

Association (USRA), invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Radiative

Transfer Modeling in Planetary Atmospheres.

 

The successful candidate will join Dr. Germán Martínez on the Mars Environmental

Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) science team of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, and will

participate in analysis and interpretation of measurements made by the Thermal Infrared

Sensor (TIRS), one of the six environmental sensors comprising MEDA. TIRS is the

first in situ Martian infrared radiometer including upward- and downward-looking

channels, and it will measure the upward and downward thermal infrared radiation at

the surface, the reflected solar radiation at the surface, the surface brightness temperature,

and the near-surface vertical temperature profile. The successful candidate may also

participate in operations planning for the MEDA instrument. READ MORE

 

D) POSTDOCTORAL OR GUEST SCIENTIST POSITIONS IN SPACE PHYSICS

Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) invited applications for
positions in the field of space plasma physics. The topics of the
respective positions:

– Investigation of electron dynamics in a cometary ionosphere. The work
involves analysis of Rosetta data at comet 67P.
– Particle energization by collisionless shocks at electron scales. The
work involves analysis of data from Magnetospheric Multiscale mission
at the Earth’s bow shock.

Our team performs observations, data analysis and modelling of space
plasma processes. The team has decades of experience in developing and
operating instruments to measure electric fields, plasma temperature,
density and density fluctuations for spacecraft missions.

The positions are available at IRF’s Uppsala office (Angstrom Laboratory). 

Funded by grants from the Swedish National Space Agency for 2 years.

Applications: [email protected]
Reference number: 2.2.1-137/20
Closing date: 31 May 2020

Information: https://www.irf.se/en/news/2020/04/29/postdoctoral-or-guest-scientist-positions-in-space-physics-ref-nr-2-2-1-137-20/

Contact:
Dr. Eriksson: [email protected]
Assoc. Prof. Khotyaintsev: [email protected]

 

———————————+

Send submissions to: 

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

 

You are receiving this email because you are a DPS member.

To unsubscribe or update your information, please send your request

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–>